Lap top and tablet ban

[logansi]

I have information that Australia will also be implementing some sort of ban however none of the countries the UK has banned are serviced to Australia.

[HeartyMeatballs]

British Airways is registered in England, as is Monarch. But the usual rules applies then. Anything English = British and generic, or foreign. God forbid anything be described as English, only the Welsh and Scots are able to refer to anything from their respective countries as their own.

[DaveReidUK]

Originally Posted by HeartyMeatballs

To all of the muppets claiming it's a big conspiracy to protect the US3 and BA, could you explain why it's all of the airlines from these countries and not a select few?

In respect of the US ban, the muppets would be perfectly justified in concluding exactly that.

[OntimeexceptACARS]

Originally Posted by HeartyMeatballs

British Airways is registered in England, as is Monarch. But the usual rules applies then. Anything English = British and generic, or foreign. God forbid anything be described as English, only the Welsh and Scots are able to refer to anything from their respective countries as their own.

Anyway Hearty, please describe BA accurately. Its London, not English

[Melax]

If all checked luggage is put into explosion proof containers, it make some sense if not I'm a little confused as to why allowing a suspected (possible) explosive device in the belly of the plane, not withstanding the risk of LIO fire in an area not accessible to the crew to put it out before all the plane is consumed....

[Carjockey]

U.S., Britain curb electronics on flights from Middle East, North Africa | Reuters

[STN Ramp Rat]

not effective

Before I get flamed. I will not reveal anything that a regular business traveller will not know and bad guys can be business travellers too. I also accept this is a fast-moving situation and things may change over the next few hours and days as other countries join in the fun.


Next week I am travelling from the Far East to the UK and have chosen Turkish Airlines for economic reasons, they are cheap and provide star alliance points there is also a fair chance I will have an empty seat next to me as things are not going well for THY.


I will now have to check my laptop even though I am only transiting Istanbul and despite it having been cleared by security in an unaffected country. If I was flying from Istanbul to London on Lufthansa via Munich I would transit Munich non-Schengen to non-Schengen without a security check in Munich and thus would arrive in the UK with my laptop having been cleared only by Turkish security.


So, even though I am not traveling from Turkey I will be inconvenienced whereas a “bad guy” traveling from Istanbul with the intention of harming an aircraft over UK airspace can still do so if they take an indirect flight.


As it stands, at the moment, at best it is an ineffective regulation badly applied, at worst it is deliberately put in place to economically harm certain countries airlines.


If it is the former, then it needs to be sorted out quickly because we are all apparently in danger and there is a huge gap in the regulation rendering it ineffective. If it is the latter, then I am sure there will be retaliation by the affected countries soon, at least I hope there will be.

Whatever the outcome it will stop me flying THY after this trip, fortunately this trip requalifies me Star Alliance Gold so it’s not an issue #firstworldproblem

[T250]

To those questioning the uniformity of rules...

In almost all these countries listed, there is NO liquids ban on the flights FROM these places or their airports.

So just as you say there is gaping holes, so there is right now and has been for years. Only in the US, Europe and Australia is there liquid bans. Everywhere else is a free for all! Go figurr

[suninmyeyes]

Airport security often has the ridiculous policy of treating pilots the same way (or worse) than they treat passengers. So it will be interesting if they stop the pilots of those affected flights taking on board their ipads and tablets used for Jeppesen charts, takeoff performance etc. I doubt there will ever be a return to the paper charts and manuals. So if common sense prevails and they allow pilots to take Ipads and laptops on to the flight deck this might start a precedent and allow us to take other useful items such as screwdriver, leatherman etc on to the flight deck too.

[BeechNut]

Canada too has a liquid ban.

[Airbubba]

Originally Posted by suninmyeyes

So if common sense prevails and they allow pilots to take Ipads and laptops on to the flight deck this might start a precedent and allow us to take other useful items such as screwdriver, leatherman etc on to the flight deck too.

I doubt it in the U.S.

For well over a decade we've been able to, optionally and with proper training, carry a firearm on the flight deck. But, we still have to get wanded down for pocket knives, corkscrews with a blade, screwdrivers and other banned items.

[YukonHusky]

Originally Posted by T250

Only in the US, Europe and Australia is there liquid bans. Everywhere else is a free for all! Go figurr

If the latter inaccurate portrayal reflected actual fact, then your statement might be correct. However, such a wide ranging broad swoop is plainly wrong. For example, Canada, HK, SG, China, and other countries limit the amount of liquids passengers may legally bring on board commercial flights.

[jugofpropwash]

Given that a bomb in the hold is going to make as large of a hole as one in the pax compartment - and that it would seem easier to check carried-on devices (by turning on, if nothing else) than to check items in the hold.... Assuming that this isn't entirely political, then maybe whatever intelligence they've received isn't explosive related?

My initial thought was a weapon of some sort (gun, knife) hidden inside the laptop - but it seems unlikely that you could get much inside a tablet. That leaves a question of software. Could terrorists/hackers have found a way to use a laptop to interfere with communications or the operation of the aircraft? If possible, it would probably require "hands-on" the device, which would be impossible with it in the hold.

[Wannabe Flyer]

Hmmm Lets see, EK,EY,TK,QR largest carriers of residents of the Sub continent to the Americas. I would say almost 90% load on most flights out especially as the Summer holidays followed by college season starting up shortly. Smacks of an economic embargo thinly disguised as a terrorist thereat with no merit.

[ZFT]

Assuming the latest IS reports are true, then why not a blanket ban? It isn't rocket science for the bad guys to change a flight origin or carrier!

[GrahamO]

Originally Posted by CCGE29

Well if they just banned electronics from Qatar and the UAE then it would be even more obvious. They have to add other countries to make this 'security' precaution look valid.

It is just an excuse to get at the MEB3 and TK. What a joke.

Agreed. The UK has to go along with some of the Trump attempt to keep the ME3 out of the USA, but not so far as to create tensions between the UK and Qatar/UAE at a time when Liam Fox is camped in the Gulf telling the big money guys how much we love them.


I am sure there is a kernel of truth at the heart of the US decision but the whole broad brush thing doesn't bear the slightest scrutiny.


My own employer isn't going to insist its staff change over to flying on US airlines as that would be a mutiny, and when they arrive in 'murica, they can if they wanted, go out and buy a cheap laptop and use that instead, with all their data stored on company servers - or if their employer has a US base, provide a loan laptop instead. Sure they lose a few hours of working time in the air but that's worth it compared with travelling long haul on US airlines.

[rcsa]

What if it's not a bomb - but something else? Say, Bio or chem weapon concealed in a laptop, that is otherwise fully functional? Or software to hack the aircraft?

There's only a few reasons for stashing suspect devices in the hold, and potential explosive power is not one of them. Either the threat requires the attacker to actually use the device (hacking the a/c), or the device contains something that would be lethal in the cabin, less so in the hold.

The earliest reports said the ban would last 96 hours. That's a very precise time frame.

[crewmeal]

How long will it be before carriers do away with onboard wi-fi as it won't be worth all the cost, as not many will be able to use it?

[sabbasolo]

Originally Posted by jugofpropwash

it would seem easier to check carried-on devices (by turning on, if nothing else) than to check items in the hold.... ....

Could terrorists/hackers have found a way to use a laptop to interfere with communications or the operation of the aircraft? If possible, it would probably require "hands-on" the device, which would be impossible with it in the hold.

How does turning it on solve anything? Remove 1kg 8500mah battery and replace with 150g 800mah, filling remaining space with xxx?

Similarly, what communications exploit can you run on a kindle, or on a laptop, that can't be run on a phone? Phones have all the same radios in them than laptops do, and several more besides, of higher power.

[BRE]

Originally Posted by TURIN

This has answered one conundrum.

Kuwait Airlines applied for a tech/security stop at Manchester (UK) starting on 26th March. Abandoning Shannon. No one could work out why. Now we know. Kuwait is not on the UK ban but it is on the US ban. The plot thickens.

How does it make a difference whether they re-screen in Ireland or the UK? Neither are affected for the first leg, and re-screening will take care of the secoend leg no matter where the stop is.